12 January 2012

General Foolishness

Jack Miller, Philadelphia pastor, to a missionary in Uganda, July 1986:

For me: pray for revival in my life and Rose Marie's. God did powerful things for us in Spain and Europe. We have come home and left the TV off, and this has given us extra time for work, prayer, and study--and other kinds of recreation. Not that we spent long hours before the tube, but watching news in the evening put splashes of violence, sensuous advertising, and general foolishness into our heads. We didn't need this mishmash of sensate values and violence bashing us every evening. It has been most helpful.

My suspicion is that for every legalist who gets rid of the TV just to feel superior to fellow Christians, there are ten more who are absorbing "general foolishness" and "this mishmash of sensate values" without realizing what it is slowly and subtly doing to them, perhaps baptizing it as gospel freedom. I'm thinking mainly of my generation here.

Sin/not sin is not the only filter for assessing how we spend our time. Wise/unwise is the other filter. All things are lawful, but not all things are beneficial.

The Gospel. Period.

Follow by Email

A human being. Living with my dear wife and four delightful offspring in Wheaton, Illinois. Senior VP for Bible Publishing at Crossway. More messed up than this blog will let on. I live (2 Cor 5:15) to delight in (Ps 37:4) and display (1 Tim 1:16) the glory (Rom 15:8-9) of the grace (Eph 1:6) of God in Christ (Col 1:15). Saddle up.

My Portion

"The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him." The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him; let him put his mouth in the dust--there may yet be hope; let him give his cheek to the one who strikes, and let him be filled with insults. For the LORD will not cast off forever, but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men.--Lamentations 3:24-32

Leaving Comments

Comments are welcome.

I read every comment, though I do not respond to every one.

Blog commenting is one more avenue in which we can live out gospel-ignited love toward one another. A blog is not a place where we can take a vacation from Christian love; it is a prime opportunity to exercise it. Comment clearly, thoughtfully, briefly, humbly.

Obnoxious comments will be deleted. This is my blog, so I determine what crosses the line into being obnoxious. I welcome discussion and even debate, but I will not allow this blog to become a platform for the 'word-wars' against which the New Testament repeatedly warns us.